Emilie is still dealing with back pain so we find other ways to exercise than riding. One of her favourite games is the yoga ball — it’s an endless, bouncing treat machine!
Feets and Cuddles!
Emilie is usually cool-headed but there is one thing that used to reduce her to a sweating, shaking wreck: The dreaded hoofpick. We’ve been training, patiently, for two months now, and with the help of our brave barefoot trimmer, Kimmie, cleaning feet is no longer a highly traumatic experience.
I don’t know what caused this anxiety. When we purchased Emilie we were warned that she had not yet learned to lift her feet properly. We were going to train it, but then she had her colic surgery and we had to wait for that 60 cm incision to be properly healed before we started doing difficult work that requires standing on three legs for a while.
Once we did get started it became very obvious that her refusal was not obstinacy or annoyance: She was afraid of being held and losing her balance, causing her to fall. She actually fell. Twice.
We’ve got a working arrangement now. Using positive reinforcement training, patience, and observing her reactions, we have now reached a point where a tap on the front of the knee means that she will lift her hoof — and then we’re allowed to do whatever we want to it as long as we don’t take hold of it. She holds the leg. No feeling of being trapped or restrained.
Moreover she needs regular breaks — a minute at a time with a foot up, tops. Again, not out of obstinacy but due to hip trouble that she likely acquired during surgery (turn a horse over, haul it up in chains around the legs, no wonder …). We’re calling in a chiropractor to sort those issues out, and I expect that once they’re dealt with, she’ll cease demanding breaks.
It’s amazing what patience, grass pills, and lots of praise can do.
Bonus: Positive reinforcement works both ways. As the picture shows, she’s taught me how to give the best chest and neck rubs. And my reward is that she returns them.
Photograph Madness!
Every horse person knows that person who takes great pictures. In this case, Louise Jäger took her fancy camera out for a spin, and these are the best picks of the crop!
All pictures copyright 2017 Louise Jäger.
For a couple of other Louise shoots, check these links:
Finding Quiet and Recharging: Hay Meditations
There is no sound more soothing that that of a horse chewing its hay. A slow, rhythmic sound that implies an absence of stress, a freedom from concerns. It is a relaxing sound, so much that I have actually seen ‘hay chewing meditation’ advertised for city people who need to de-stress.
To me, it’s a way to recharge my mental batteries. My writing sessions are 4-8 hours long. They are often nocturnal, all depending on my husband’s rotating work shifts. I usually have a lot going on my head, with anxieties, occasional bouts of depression, poor health, and chronic pain to keep me busy. I need that time-out.
I like to sit next to Emilie as she chews her hay and watch her. There is so much going on in those dark brown and blue eyes. Her long lashes are two-coloured — red in the inner end of the eye and white in the other, a gradual change of colour.
Horses live in the present. While horses have formidable memory and rarely forget something once learned, they don’t have a lot of cognitive processes going on. They look to their immediate needs. Emilie wants sunshine on her big red butt, hay to chew on, and she enjoys human company. She likes people. I am okay company. She doesn’t think I’m another horse, but she does think I’m okay to hang out with.
When I sit with her, I forget everything else that’s taking up bandwidth in my head. Sunshine. Hay. Company. All that matters. It’s a bit like hitting the big reset button on one’s mind. Wiping the mental hard drive of clutter and corrupted bits. Washing the plate clean before filling it anew.
I come home, sleep like a rock, and next morning I am set to get right into writing because of the peace and quiet in my head that Emilie gave me the day before.
All Tests Aced!
Two days ago Emilie finally aced her vet checkup. As of today, she is officially insured (thank all the powers that be!). Today marked the end of her long recovery period after surgery, and we got ready for a saddle and rider test!
Today was a really hot day. It was also Emilie’s third time being bathed, and as it turns out, she loves, loves, loves it. Sure, the hose can be cold but being scrubbed down with water and a brush? Getting rid of all the dust, sweat, and lingering winter fur? Priceless. She even forgets her hay just to express her delight with this treatment.
While Emilie dried off from her bath I sat and watched albino Connemara pony Charming and grey Welsh Mountain pony Cassie. They’ve been sharing a paddock for a few days now. They seem to be hitting it off well — to put it mildly.
And then, finally, time to start the test. We saddled her, looking carefully for indications of soreness or pain from the surgery scar. Nothing. Then Cecilie lounged her for ten minutes at a walking pace. No soreness, no complaints except of boredom. Walking on a lounge is dull.
Cecilie lead Emilie to the mounting block and carefully plopped herself into the saddle. Not a single ear was batted. Emilie is very clearly not dealing with any residue pain or soreness from her surgery.
The husband strolled along with the ten minutes’ ride, to make sure Emilie stayed calm and relaxed. He didn’t need to. Emilie confidently told us that she was happy to be doing something more challenging than eating hay, but she also got tired very quickly. That’s as it should be. We’re only allowed to ride her at a walk for 20 minutes at a time at this point.
Afterwards, we took the saddle off and let Emilie have the arena and its sand to herself for a bit.
So here’s a recap: Vet check aced, farrier aced, insurance in place, and now ready to start getting back in shape after surgery. I have one tough and cool little red horse.
